| backlash | home about us links contact |
An ABC of LobbyingIntroductionLobbying. Get out the green ink. Pen your wittiest most incisive thoughts to your local MP. Pop down to his surgery for 'words'. End the day with a cosy fireside chat in which you and he put the world to rights. Bish bosh. Sorted!At one level, Lobbying sounds so easy. After all, it is about communicating. And even if the target of your communication is a little more elevated than usual, what could be simpler? Wrong. If it is not for a clearly defined purpose, Lobbying is a waste of time and effort. Worse: done poorly, it can have the opposite effect to the one you hope to achieve. The point of this note is to give people some structure to work to: to highlight some of the most obvious pitfalls; and to help turn a one-off communication into a long-term and positive relationship. Manniq October 2005 OutlineLobbying falls into five stages. These are
The Lobbying ProcessIdentify your target This may seem fairly obvious. First identify who you are going to lobby. When it comes to parliamentary lobbying, your first and most obvious port of call is your MP. Details on your local MP can be found here: www.theyworkforyou.com/ However, you do not need to restrict yourself to one individual. In fact, there is a great deal to be gained from spreading the gospel more widely. In England, your locality will have some or all of the following:
Additional sources of information include: For Europe: www.europarl.eu.int/members/public.do?language=en For Scotland: www.scottish.parliament.uk/msp/index.htm For Wales: www.wales.gov.uk/who/constit_e.htm Note: Wales has a system of top-up Assembly Members. So as well as your local AM, there are also Ams in the Welsh Assembly by virtue of their position on a party list. A single source for most of the above can be found at: www.dodonline.co.uk That's a lot to get to grips with - and it may be more than you wish to contemplate in one go. But when it comes to the politics of law-making, it is worth casting your net wider than JUST your MP. Why? Because if you just seek out one opinion, you place yourself in the role of supplicant before the seat of power. If you seek out several opinions - and can show up the differences between those opinions - then you put yourself in the driving seat: you start to influence the political process. Look at that target list once more: - there are frequently differences in party allegiance between Westminster, Regional and European parliaments: sometimes those differences spill over into real personal animosity. Worth knowing about; - ppc's are the individuals who are most likely to stand for the other parties if there were a General Election tomorrow. They almost certainly WILL have differences with the sitting MP. If your MP is hostile to the cause, opponents may provide insider information you won't obtain elsewhere. Bear in mind also that MP's die: there are likely to be half a dozen bye-elections between now and the date that any Bill on the consultation proposal comes before parliament;
In the following sections, references are to your MP. However, much the same points apply to any/all of the above. Research your targetBefore you write (or speak) a single word to your target, do some background research. For starters, it is worth understanding a little bit about what MP's actually DO:YAYMP.pdf Or for a lot more understanding, try: news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/a-z_of_parliament/default.stm Get under their skin. Is your MP a man of principle - or a careerist arse-licker? Does he have special concerns? Is his seat a 'safe' one? Or highly marginal? For some very in-depth information about the outcome of the last general election in the UK, try: politics.guardian.co.uk/election2005 If you navigate carefully around this, you should be able to identify not just the MP in a given constituency, but also their opponents, together with biographical details about ALL candidates in the constituency. The BBC's MP database provides a slightly more personal view of individual members: news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/2160988.stm A word of caution: this appears to relate to the last (2001) parliament: it is not updated with regard to the 2005 General Election. If anyone knows whether they have produced an updated version of this database (and where to find it), please let us know. BBC results for that election are at: news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/vote2005/flash_map/html/map05.stm Take a look at parliamentary voting records: www.publicwhip.org.uk/index.php Use your local press and radio archives to look also at locally reported speeches. Go to Hansard for what your MP has said in parliament (and also what pq's - parliamentary questions - they have put forward). www.parliament.uk/hansard/hansard.cfm Find out what committees they are on and whether they are on the government pay roll. Not just Cabinet rank: a very large number of MP's carry less widely reported junior ministerial responsibilities. This is worth knowing. A backbencher can defy the government with relative impunity. This is not the case for a Member who is part of government. Check out 'Westminster Hall Debates (available in Hansard). These are debates on issues of public concern. They happen outside the formal structure of parliament and MP's often open up here in terms of what they really think about an issue. Look at the MP's home page (and any blog they run). This is a good first place to look: www.epolitix.com/EN/MPWebsites Otherwise, fall back on Google, plus your MP's name. Basically, know your target - and tailor your approach accordingly. This is especially true if you are setting out to influence them (see below) as you need to understand what are the right buttons to push - what are the areas to avoid. Set ObjectivesThis may seem a fairly obscure point. Surely EVERYONE knows what lobbying is for? Not so. Once you know who you are going to talk to and where they are coming from, it is absolutely essential that you decide what it is you want to achieve as a result of your dialogue with them.Now is also the time to place your activity into a wider context. Lobbying is not about one-night stands: the quickie letter, or the five-minute meeting. Good lobbying is about creating a relationship with your target, which you will then use, in future, to further the campaign objectives. Clearly, the nature of the relationship will change according to your target's views on the subject: I would expect Michael Gove (Conservative) or Lembit Opik (LibDem) to be much more fruitful contacts than Vera Baird (Labour). But even if your contact is initially hostile or unhelpful, there will be reasons for continuing to drip feed information and argument in their direction. What are sensible aims for Lobbying? As always, the obvious is not necessarily the right answer. You are dealing with individuals with strong convictions and a history of immersion in the issues of the day. The one thing that you are unlikely to do in an initial meeting is change their minds significantly on any issue. So what can you achieve? Below are some suggestions (which apply equally whether you are writing, phoning or meeting):
ActionIt is up to you how you make contact with your MP. Obviously, you may choose to use any channel available - although more outlandish options (such as messages in a bottle or SMS are probably not advisable).The three main channels are therefore:
Some individuals might opt for the phone - although the chances of getting through directly if you have never met your MP before are slight. In general, I would opt for both letter and follow-up meeting: the letter is courtesy and introduction. It also allows you to meet and have some chance that your MP will know what you are talking about. Thereafter, continue the relationship as seems most appropriate. Preparing for ActionKey Stages in preparing for Action are:
- Research might reveal that your MP is a moderate Labour member with a small majority and a strong expressed commitment to civil liberties. However, he is also known to be ambitious and to be seeking a position within the government in the next two to three years. Further research might identify an ongoing feud with his local MEP (LibDem): and a strong second place challenge from a Lib Dem councillor who fought the last election and is likely to fight the next. - Objectives: you will not, realistically, convince this individual to vote against the proposal if it comes forward as a Bill. However, you may convince him that this is a dangerous issue on which the government might lose votes (and he might lose his seat). You should therefore look to him to ask specific (awkward) questions of the Minister. You might be able to identify aspects of forthcoming legislation that he would have principled difficulties with. You might (just) be able to convince him that certain aspects of the legislation need to be amended if the government is not to suffer a PR disaster - and therefore seek his support in either putting forward (or supporting) an amendment and/or abstaining on certain parts of the Bill when it comes before Parliament. In parallel with the above, you will 'make friends' with the MEP and second-place candidate, feeding them with whatever ammunition comes to hand in order to embarrass the sitting MP. For instance, a speech by the MP that 'the Law must be seen to be fair', juxtaposed with legal opinion on the proposal that it would breach Human Rights. In respect of ALL of these individuals, you would ask that they contact you if anything happens in parliament that is relevant: and you should offer to provide them with advice and/or introductions to their local bdsm community (invite them to a munch?). - Planning will take all of the above into account. For instance:
The key point here is that lobbying is continuous, not a one-off. Practical StuffA little Google research should give you most of the names you need. Most MP's and MEPs have their own personal web pages - and if they haven't, you should be able to obtain some information from the sites listed in the first two sections.Phone numbers for your MP's constituency office are usually available via your local council and/or in local newspapers. So, too, are the times of surgeries. If you find those routes of little help, try phoning the MP's office directly at the House of Commons: 020 7219 3000 - and ask to be put through either to the relevant PA, or to the relevant Party Whip's Office. They should be able to give you a local phone number and/or an address to write to. Don't worry about the local address, though: if in doubt, just write direct, via the relevant body: Your Local MP C/o The House of Commons Westminster London SW1A 1AA Your Local MSP Scottish Parliament Edinburgh EH99 1SP Tel: 0131 348 5000 Your Local AM National Assembly for Wales Cardiff Bay Cardiff CF99 1NA Tel: 029 20 825111 Letter WritingOriginally, we considered providing a standard letter or two. In the end we decided against. As the preceding sections suggest, what you do should be individual to your MP and your lobbying plan. Standard letters run the risk of looking, well, standard.For inspiration, look at letters that have been written by other members of the campaign. We are planning to provide a guide to key points that you can make. Use that when it is published. Produce drafts of what you intend to send - and pass them by others in and out of the campaign. Accept criticism gracefully. Not every point made about your writing style is fair: but if you ask for input, take it. If you want an overview from other people involved in the campaign - especially the Lobbying Group - ask for it. In the first instance, e-mail manniq@hotmail.com And read through this section. It may contain a few pointers that you will find useful. Writing TechniqueHalf a dozen paragraphs will not really convey what it can take seasoned copywriters years to learn. But take heart: some writers write with no formal training whatsoever (John Cleese for one). Others still manage to turn out dross after years and years of practising their 'art'.So a few tips:
Overall approachOne long-taught approach to letter-writing is the AIDA method:
In terms of writing to your MP, the first stage calls for some careful thought, but could lead you to start with a headline such as: In 18 months time, Charles Clarke is planning to send me and my friends to jail This ought to provoke immediate Interest. Why? What does the esteemed Home Secretary have against you? Desire is about making the case for why your MP should be involved in this issue. This issue matters to him: show HOW it matters. Personalise again. Avoid generalities and talk specifics. It matters because it will change how people view him. Finally, Action is whatever you hope to persuade him to do as a result of receiving the letter (in this case, probably little, beyond meeting with you). Assume nothing: explain everything. Introduce yourself and Backlash. Explain why you are writing. Make your case, but be careful about making specific demands. Yes: you want them to commit to doing something for you. But turn it round: ask them to explain what support they are able to offer. The Answer to EverythingFinally, it doesn't matter whether you try and use the techniques outlined above - or just write 'off the cuff'. The greatest piece of advice I have ever encountered is: write as though your audience is sat on the opposite side of your desk - and you are talking directly to them.If you wouldn't say it in everyday polite conversation, perhaps you shouldn't write it either. And if you are stuck for words, talking to your imaginary friend may help you find a way through. Meeting your MP: Techniques and EtiquetteIf you have read this far, you will probably have guessed that getting ready for a meeting is about more than dressing up and going out the door. (Dom/mes will love this bit!).It is about control. You need to start the meeting knowing exactly what you want to get out of it - and end the meeting having done so. That control does not need to be explicit. Indeed, given the sort of control freaks you are dealing with, they will resist any attempt by you to follow YOUR agenda. Which is why clarity on your part is even more important:
Lobbying DON'TsWhatever you do,
FeedbackOne of the most important roles for lobbying is to gather information. That information needs to go back into the campaign. Not for any especially sinister purpose. But so that others can use it.It helps to know what sort of majorities are shaping up for certain government propositions. This allows us to determine where to attack (and where not to). It also allows us to target any future communications more directly. Over the next few days, we will be putting together a form which, we hope, you will use to provide feedback on. In the meantime, it would be helpful if you could feed back the results of lobbying to manniq@hotmail.com As a minimum:
Addendum: Note on Lobbying PeersMany of the same principles apply to the Lords as to the Commons. The one difference is that there is a greater expectation of respect when approaching peers.Finding information about the members of the House of Lords A full list of the members can be found at www.parliament.uk/directories/directories21.cfm Biographical information (including education details) are available at www.dodonline.co.uk A register of Lords' interests (including, where relevant, academic appointments) can be found at www.parliament.uk/about_lords/register_of_lords__interests.cfm For members speeches, etc. on various issues, use Hansard as for MP's: www.parliament.uk/hansard/hansard2.cfm Contact To contact members of the House of Lords. Letters should be addressed to members at: [Lord's Name], House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW A guide to forms of address for members of the House of Lords is set out below. (It sounds stuffy, but using the correct form of address will help your case). Very few members of the House of Lords have offices or a secretary, so trying to contact them by phone is a bit hit or miss. However, if you need/want to try you can:
Forms of Address Title | Salutation (in letter) | Outer envelope | | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Duke | Dear Duke of London | His Grace the Duke of London | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Marquess | Dear Lord London | The Most Hon. Marquess of London | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Earl | Dear Lord London | The Earl of London | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Countess | Dear Lady London | The Countess of London | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Viscount | Dear Lord London | The Viscount London | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Baron | Dear Lord London | The Lord London | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Baroness | Dear Lady London | The Baroness London | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lady | Dear Lady London | The Lady London | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Archbishop | Dear Archbishop | The Most Rev. and Rt Hon. Archbishop of London | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bishop | Dear Lord Bishop | The Rt Rev. Lord Bishop of London |